Hi!
I'm looking for a used car to share with a family member and I would highly appreciate any kind of suggestions or general help in trying to find options for a car fitting our needs! Thank you so much in advance! 💕
The budget isn't all that great, but i got pleasantly surprised when i found the Toyota Auris seemingly checking all the boxes and being available for even less than 15k€ used. After looking at it for a while i found out Toyota was a decade late in adding carplay so even the most modern Auris models don't support AA or Apple Carplay.
I was looking at Toyota cars specifically since they're so reliable buying a used car from them isn't all that risky, and because they're widely available around where i live (Finland).
I would, however, like the car to have AA if we're spending money on a recent-ish model, as otherwise we might as well just get another ~2012 trash heap to save money as from what i've seen Toyota's own entertainment & navigation systems seem pretty worthless. I mainly use Google Maps for navigation, and if the car doesn't have that as an option, i see no point in paying for a fancy touch screen navigation system that i'm never going to use. In that case, Bluetooth audio will be enough, and i'll just use my phone for navigation.
The requirements for the car are as follows:

1. RELIABLE BRAND & MODEL

This is the most important part. If we're buying a used car, we need to be as sure as possible that it's not gonna break down on us for a long, long time, and that we won't need to pay twice the car's price in repairs.

1. General Specs

We are looking for a compact 4-5 seater vehicle for daily- and city driving as well as moderately long drives with a trunk space that can be expanded onto the passenger seats when necessary. It should be compact enough for city driving and parking, but still be able to carry cargo when necessary.
All cars either of us have driven have been manual, but we're willing to give automatic transmission a shot as well! FWD or AWD preferred.

1. Android auto or Bluetooth

As i explained earlier, I see no real point in paying for a touch screen monitor smacked on the console, if it adds nothing to the comfort or practicality of the vehicle. If the car isn't compatible with AA or google maps in some way, all that matters is that it's easy to listen to music wirelessly.

1. Decent audio system

Speaking of listening to music, it would be really nice to be able to enjoy the music as well! Neither of us are audiophiles or anything, but it would be nice if the speakers were good enough to make listening to music while driving fun! :)

1. Fuel

Gasoline or diesel works perfectly, It seems most options fit our needs nowadays are hybrids, which sound great otherwise, but neither of us have any experience with them. We've only heard horror stories about hybrids having reliability issues or being impossible to do routine maintenance to at home (like switching tires), and that they are more likely to fail inspection? I have no idea how true this is but if these are baseless claims, a Hybrid sounds like a great option as well.
Fuel efficiency is a huge plus, though "good" is enough. It doesn't have to be the main focus or anything exceptional. However, the more efficient the car is, the better of course!

1. Price

No more than 20k EUR (Used), or ~250€/ month. Leasing is also an option but i couldn't find any valid prices around here. Besides, i'm mainly just looking for vehicle suggestions, i can look at deals or sales myself as long as it's roughly in the same price category.
The main reason we want to make sure the car is solid and reliable is so we don't have to pay ourselves sick for it's maintenance. If we're considering leasing, it will be so we can make the dealership pay for any possible wear & tear. Again, we're looking for a used car that will last us a while. ^^
Again, thank you so much for anyone willing to help and take a look at this, all help is highly appreciated! 💕

Hi!
I'm looking for a used car to share with a family member and I would highly appreciate any kind of suggestions or general help in trying to find options for a car fitting our needs! Thank you so much in advance! 💕
The budget isn't all that great, but i got pleasantly surprised when i found the Toyota Auris seemingly checking all the boxes and being available for even less than 15k€ used. After looking at it for a while i found out Toyota was a decade late in adding carplay so even the most modern Auris models don't support AA or Apple Carplay.
I was looking at Toyota cars specifically since they're so reliable buying a used car from them isn't all that risky, and because they're widely available around where i live (Finland).
I would, however, like the car to have AA if we're spending money on a recent-ish model, as otherwise we might as well just get another ~2012 trash heap to save money as from what i've seen Toyota's own entertainment & navigation systems seem pretty worthless. I mainly use Google Maps for navigation, and if the car doesn't have that as an option, i see no point in paying for a fancy touch screen navigation system that i'm never going to use. In that case, Bluetooth audio will be enough, and i'll just use my phone for navigation.
The requirements for the car are as follows:

1. RELIABLE BRAND & MODEL

This is the most important part. If we're buying a used car, we need to be as sure as possible that it's not gonna break down on us for a long, long time, and that we won't need to pay twice the car's price in repairs.

1. General Specs

We are looking for a compact 4-5 seater vehicle for daily- and city driving as well as moderately long drives with a trunk space that can be expanded onto the passenger seats when necessary. It should be compact enough for city driving and parking, but still be able to carry cargo when necessary.
All cars either of us have driven have been manual, but we're willing to give automatic transmission a shot as well! FWD or AWD preferred.

1. Android auto or Bluetooth

As i explained earlier, I see no real point in paying for a touch screen monitor smacked on the console, if it adds nothing to the comfort or practicality of the vehicle. If the car isn't compatible with AA or google maps in some way, all that matters is that it's easy to listen to music wirelessly.

1. Decent audio system

Speaking of listening to music, it would be really nice to be able to enjoy the music as well! Neither of us are audiophiles or anything, but it would be nice if the speakers were good enough to make listening to music while driving fun! :)

1. Fuel

Gasoline or diesel works perfectly, It seems most options fit our needs nowadays are hybrids, which sound great otherwise, but neither of us have any experience with them. We've only heard horror stories about hybrids having reliability issues or being impossible to do routine maintenance to at home (like switching tires), and that they are more likely to fail inspection? I have no idea how true this is but if these are baseless claims, a Hybrid sounds like a great option as well.
Fuel efficiency is a huge plus, though "good" is enough. It doesn't have to be the main focus or anything exceptional. However, the more efficient the car is, the better of course!

1. Price

No more than 20k EUR (Used), or ~250€/ month. Leasing is also an option but i couldn't find any valid prices around here. Besides, i'm mainly just looking for vehicle suggestions, i can look at deals or sales myself as long as it's roughly in the same price category.
The main reason we want to make sure the car is solid and reliable is so we don't have to pay ourselves sick for it's maintenance. If we're considering leasing, it will be so we can make the dealership pay for any possible wear & tear. Again, we're looking for a used car that will last us a while. ^^
Again, thank you so much for anyone willing to help and take a look at this, all help is highly appreciated! 💕

hi guys! idk who else to talk to or ask advice from so im asking here 🥹 basically the ither day i was waiting for my bus home after the gym and this older man approached me and started talking to me ive always thoight of myself to be kind so i spoke back! i ended up feeling uncomfortable as he was getting close to my face and looking at my boobs and im only 15.. so i told him i had to go and geg my bus he ended up following me out and whenever i got my bus he followed my bus up the hill. this all happened yesterday and ive been seeing him everywhere after school lately and randomly smelling his breathe.. ik thats weird but idk how else to put it idk how to get past this and ik it may not be that bsd but idk what to do to help 🥲🥲 any advice would be appreciated!!

I found this sub and I think you’re my people. I’ve been a diehard Taylor swift fan since her emergence into the public sphere. She and I are almost exactly the same age so I’ve always related closely to her songs and really felt a connection in a weird way. I’ve been to every concert (minus eras … because I refused to pay 1k for shit seats) that she’s ever had. When she was a nobody I skipped school and took the train into the city at 530 am to see her perform on the today show. I am what you would call an original swiftie. But things have changed for me and it’s been a slow burn.
My love affair with her really started to get rocky post 1989. When the whole thing with Kanye and Kim happened, her reasoning of still trying to blame Kanye was a stretch for me. She got caught being shitty and refused to own it and instead made herself a victim. I really didn’t want to stop liking her even though my spidey senses were tingling so I kind of pushed the feelings away and persevered as a fan.
Reputation was not a great album but still went to the concert and it eventually grew on me but her behavior and antics became a downward spiral for me. Each album since 1989 I’ve liked less and less and I’ve still just been trying to hold on as a fan. For a while I tried separating the artist from the music. I overlooked all the terrible things she does (starting fan base witch hunts against anyone she feels wronged her, bleeding her fans dry with ridiculous releases of the same album, her handling of the eras tour tickets - I 100% thknk she didn’t correct the problem because she liked that her tour became a status symbol). And now TTPD being just an overall awful album kinda has me over her. I can’t even say I like the music anymore. Aside from daddy I love him, the album is literal dog shit.
This also just has me seeing her in a completely new lens, even back to her original Kanye issue. I now 100% think she was in on him storming the stage and stealing her moment. It gave her so much attention and sympathy and blew up her name. Now knowing how she operates, I can totally see her being in on it. I guess in a way I’m sad because my almost 20 years of being a fan was really based on a lie and illusion. She faked a country accent and I even think her original blonde curly hair was fake, or she’s lost a lot of hair and volume/curliness in the last few years. I also feel like I’ve just outgrown her. She’s no longer relatable. I grew up and she didn’t. I’m 34 with a house and kid and husband and bills and responsibilities and she’s still singing about cheerleaders and football players and high school. I will always still be a fan of her music, especially her older stuff. Even my 3 year old knows a lot of her songs. But I’m done pretending she’s not a piece of shit and also a socially awkward weirdo lol.

I just found out my bus driver missed me and asked my brothers (who still take the bus) about me. I haven’t been showing in the bus for a month because I have IB exams, so most days I’m at home revising, and during exam days, I’m been driving to school. My brothers always notice him looking in our street every morning making sure there is anyone else coming other than them. What should I give him as gift before I leave? I have no idea but after this, I really want to give him one.

I just moved in Germany about 4 years ago, it felt like home but there was a deference. THE LANGUAGE. It was very awkward at the beginning because when I was speaking it felt like I had stones or sand in my mouth, but with the time I got better. At the very moment I am doing an Ausbildung. It’s a thing where you work for 3 days and go to school for the other 2. I choose to be a sales man for a German company that makes the best chainsaws, and now I regret it because of my boss. He is making my life harder just by putting to do like 10 tasks at the same time and get them done as quick as I can, I’m not complaining about that because I find it okay to have something to do instead of just hanging around the store and doing literally nothing. He likes to yell at me, to say that he is going to throw me out if I don’t make him coffee or clean his car and those are things that I didn’t signed up for when I started working. He is forcing me to work on Saturdays and Sundays and if not he is treating me again. I tried to speak this with my ignorant parents but they won’t listen. I am fighting with them on the same theme almost every day. And I just feel depressed and helpless because I can’t do nothing about it and because I have nobody on my side to just listen to me or just help me as little as they can. My mental health it’s getting worse day by day, and because of it I also started to feel lost, unmotivated, depressed, stressed and I started to feel how my brain doesn’t work anymore and just blocks for a few seconds and can’t do nothing to help it. Most of the time when this happens my subconscious feels how my brain stops and gets lost and then after a few seconds it works again. It’s like you are paralysing, knowing that it happens but you can’t help it until your brain gives you that electric impulse in your body. Because of it I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can’t have any other feeling than sadness, I can’t enjoy my life and be as happy as I used to be back then. I just feel like my body can’t do it no more and it starts to give up. If that one day comes I just want to say that I am sorry. I am sorry for giving up !!

Hey, all. I've always loved the E90s especially the E92. One just came up for sale (335XI, stick, with red seats). Never owned one. Now I have a house and garage. I know the 335I is less complicated than the XI, but I feel like I'd love to daily it (MN).
Can one fix, upgrade, and maintain one with Jack Stands? I don't have a lift.
I'm not sure how often the Front Main, Oil Pan Gasket, and Rear Main Seal to be replaced. Those seem like the hardest w/o a lift. Anything else that would be unbearable to DIY in the garage, on Jacks?

this memory has been playing on my mind a lot lately. not sure why, but figured i'd share it.
i was in 4th grade. it was winter, and i was at school late for basketball practice. my mom was working late, so it was up to dad to pick me up. both parents were abusive, but dad was a lot more outwardly and consistently aggressive and explosive - my mom did everything behind closed doors.
practice comes to an end. the parents file in as we do cool-down exercises and begin to collect their kids. no dad yet - no biggie.
as they're congregating, i hear the parents speaking in hushed tones to each other. i hear bits and pieces of conversation - "-honking their horn" "yeah someone out in the lot-" "just sitting there beeping-" etc.
my stomach drops.
i fucking KNOW it's my dad, sitting outside in his big truck, drunk and angry and holding his hand down on the horn to summon me instead of coming inside to get me. of course, i couldn't hear him from inside the gym.
i grab my ball and my water bottle and begin to shakily slink out towards the parking lot. a few of the parents blocked me and hesitantly asked if i was okay, if i needed help...using that special voice that let me know they knew what was up...but i was terrified. and so so so ashamed. so i just said i was fine and pushed past them and settled in for a long ride home filled w/ my father screaming at me for making him wait. and of course he drove drunk with booze in the car, and of course i sat in the front seat despite being a little child.
sigh. this memory makes me so damn sad. i remember how dark and cold the world felt to me that night.

Excerpt from the OPSEU/SEFPO email I got:
I’ve got some numbers for you:

• 8.4
• 6.8
• 5.4

Each represents the millions of dollars in salary some grocery chain billionaires have recently made: Galen Weston (Loblaws), Michael Medline (Sobeys), and Eric La Fleche (Metro), in that order.
Now they’re trying to get their hands on the money the LCBO invests into our public services—$2.5 billion—and even convenience chains like 7-Eleven and Circle K want in. It should go without saying, but these ultra-wealthy CEOs don’t need any help from the government, and they certainly don’t deserve our money. But this is Doug Ford’s Ontario, and it’s time to raise the alarm.
They’re making record-breaking profits; we’re going through a cost of living crisis. Send a message to stop Ford’s latest corporate cash grab.
We’re up against giants here. These big three grocery chains (and their offshoots) have little to no competition, leaving struggling Ontarians no choice in where to shop. The further privatization of alcohol sales will only make the inequity worse by taking away billions in revenue that would otherwise go toward hospitals, schools, and more.
Meanwhile, over 9,000 LCBO workers are fighting back and need our support. They’re standing up for good jobs in every community, while protecting this public asset. That’s why we launched our campaign, and why we’re asking you to take action today.
Together we can keep public profits out of private pockets. It all starts with making some noise, flooding some inboxes, and demanding better.
Tell Doug Ford and other elected officials: LCBO profits belong in our communities and out of billionaires’ hands.
Link to the main site and related petitions: https://sofundme.ca/

Hi guys!
I am helping my retiring animation industry friend sell his collection. I posted about it last month, but now I have more! On hand, I have new art from these series-

Cat Planet Cuties
Cowboy Bebop (Elektra)
Cutie Honey
High School DxD
Ikki Tousen
Iria
Kamidori Alchemy Meister
Kill La Kill
Nurse Witch Komugi
Shachibato! President, It's Time for Battle!
Super Dimension Century Orguss 02
Tenjho Tenge
Queen's Blade
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Witchblade

These are titles I still have for sale from the last batch-

Aeon Flux
Beast Wars Neo
Big O
Bleach
Bubblegum Crisis
Inuyasha
La Blue Girl
Macross II
Macross: Do You You Remember Love? (Lynn Kaifun)
Mighty Orbots
One Piece
Thundercats
You're Under Arrest

Second Batch (prices are in descriptions)- https://imgur.com/a/C1G90IE
Second Batch NSFW! (prices in file images (hopefully I don't have trouble sharing this))- https://drive.google.com/drive2/folders/1fENGFtLS9iscpfm5bhLn0FhXfs3PsdK5
First Batch (prices in file images)- https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fTXR8I_KYwRE-awXh3rAXosVw2-QdVMr
All prices are in USD and best offers are available on everything except the Kill La Kill drawings! (He didn't buy them through the more inexpensive avenues like lotteries and AX.) Take advantage of best offers!
I'm handling the production art you see on these drive links. You can DM me or contact me using this form- https://kelseywhatelse.wixsite.com/productionartsale/contact-8
If I got anything off the mark, lmk!
New plan is that if multiple people ask about the same production art, I'll prioritize chronologically, but if I don't receive an offer in a day or two after I reply (depending on how many people are asking), the next person in line will get priority to make an offer. 😅
The plan is still to eventually put on eBay!
He has other series not listed here. I can give his contact info privately if you want to ask him about other production art in his collection. He shouldn't be too busy to respond, but he might need to sort through things to find what you're looking for!
These are shows you can ask him about!- SpongeBob, Heavy Metal (Taarna drawings), more Aeon Flux, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Urusei Yatsura, more Bleach, more Inuyasha, more High School DxD, more Queen's Blade, Galaxy Angel, Gatchaman, more Ikki Tousen, more Tenjho Tenge, Ren & Stimpy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (April), Bakshi's Fire and Ice, Little Witch Academia.

I just moved in Germany about 4 years ago, it felt like home but there was a deference. THE LANGUAGE. It was very awkward at the beginning because when I was speaking it felt like I had stones or sand in my mouth, but with the time I got better. At the very moment I am doing an Ausbildung. It’s a thing where you work for 3 days and go to school for the other 2. I choose to be a sales man for a German company that makes the best chainsaws, and now I regret it because of my boss. He is making my life harder just by putting to do like 10 tasks at the same time and get them done as quick as I can, I’m not complaining about that because I find it okay to have something to do instead of just hanging around the store and doing literally nothing. He likes to yell at me, to say that he is going to throw me out if I don’t make him coffee or clean his car and those are things that I didn’t signed up for when I started working. He is forcing me to work on Saturdays and Sundays and if not he is treating me again. I tried to speak this with my ignorant parents but they won’t listen. I am fighting with them on the same theme almost every day. And I just feel depressed and helpless because I can’t do nothing about it and because I have nobody on my side to just listen to me or just help me as little as they can. My mental health it’s getting worse day by day, and because of it I also started to feel lost, unmotivated, depressed, stressed and I started to feel how my brain doesn’t work anymore and just blocks for a few seconds and can’t do nothing to help it. Most of the time when this happens my subconscious feels how my brain stops and gets lost and then after a few seconds it works again. It’s like you are paralysing, knowing that it happens but you can’t help it until your brain gives you that electric impulse in your body. Because of it I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can’t have any other feeling than sadness, I can’t enjoy my life and be as happy as I used to be back then. I just feel like my body can’t do it no more and it starts to give up. If that one day comes I just want to say that I am sorry. I am sorry for giving up !!

Two part question.
My husband and I are the perfect candidate (combined) - he has the experience and I have the degree!
After college I became a caretaker: first for him when he had a work injury and needed back surgery, then for my nephew, and finally for my son. (The latter two have Autism) During that time he's worked full time and provided for our family. We never had a lot extra but we got by and our son never wants for anything.
A year ago I had our second child and completed our family.
A month ago some stuff went down at his job. There was some documentation signed so the quickest way to explain it is that the current boss is being forced into early retirement and the one who's coming in has someone in mind for my husband's job so they made a deal and essentially forced him into resigning.
He's got insurance and pay until the end of June and we've been applying like crazy but he's really at the top of his field and most places won't hire him for the job he was just doing without a college degree, even though he's been doing this for 20 years and clearly knows the job.
He's 42 and I'm 40.
At this point we've only heard back for one interview and they went with someone who had a degree.
We're applying for basically anything he's even slightly qualified for: entry level sales jobs, managerial positions, etc.
(He's been a public school custodian for 20 years and his most recent job was as a facilities manager for the district, so he has experience in inventory, ordering, project bidding, etc. Before that he worked in pest control, HVAC, and landscaping. He also worked in retail as a teen.)
Because he's been having such a hard time we've realized either I have to find a comparable paying job or we're going to both have to get lower paying jobs and work opposite shifts (and with two kids we'd like to avoid that).
I have a Bachelor's degree in History and before I graduated I worked in retail. Since my son was born I've been doing a ton of advocating for him. I held a fundraiser that raised over $25k. I solicited companies for donations and received around $20k in items and a couple of weekend vacation packages (free hotel stays + museum tickets + restaurant gift cards).
I successfully got him out of district into a specialized school that the town originally didn't think he needed.
I'm giving you all of this information so you have some idea of what skills we both have.
We're trying to figure out if we should each be pursuing some education.
We're leaning towards insurance licensing for him since they always seem to be hiring and it would only take around $1200 and a few months.
For me I have options: the easiest would be signing up as a substitute teacher. There's a massive shortage and they'd definitely hire me but it's not consistent and it would bring in maybe 1/3 of his most recent paycheck if I worked every day.
Option two is me getting some further education.
I could get my master's teacher certification. If I did it online from WGU it would cost around $10-$12k and take 18-24 months, depending on how fast I could finish the work. (I would have to get a loan from my parents or apply for scholarships for this)
I'll be honest: I certainly COULD be a teacher but there's clear reasons why people are leaving this field in droves.
I could also get some sort of a certification in something like medical coding and billing or in something IT.
Right now my husband makes about $65k/year (before taxes, nets about $3400/month), so our goal is that or (ideally) more but since that's not a crazy high amount I figured someone would have some good suggestions.
I guess our main goal is something fast-ish and bang for our buck.

This is a straight to the point buyers guide for people that are wondering if any of the AL ships are worth buying or not. I am here to give you an idea of what's worth, and what's not. I will rank them in descending order for convenience. Keep in mind that these are from my own opinions on the game: my word is not law. These are just my recommendations from my personal experience and a spur of the moment deal personally.

Best Pick: AL Montpelier

This is a premium version of Cleveland, the USN tier VIII CL. However, unlike the later AL premiums, AL Montpelier was unique in at least, a very minor way: She has tighter shot grouping due to a 2.15 sigma versus the standard 2.0 at the cost of slower reload at 0.5 sec slower (7 sec vs 6.5 sec). The result is overall consistent salvos, at the cost of just a little DPM that can be fixed with Adrenaline Rush and Top Grade Gunner, depending on how you build her.
Besides that, she also has un-nerfed version of radar, at a 30 sec vs 27 sec on Cleveland. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but if you run Consumable Enchantments and or Surveillance Radar Mod 1, you have a larger number that the percent based changes will take affect on. Essentially, with both the commander skill and 2nd slot upgrade, you get 39.6 sec vs 35.6 seconds on duration. So a radar build is not bad compared to Cleveland. Besides that, she doesn't have access to the catapult fighter consumable, but that is super seceded by radar and anyways so who cares.
And above all else, it is a Cleveland, which is IMO, a very competitively viable cruiser at tier VIII, with it's very small citadel, thin profile / narrow beam that leads to a lot of over-penetrations, good DPM, good concealment, and good AA. It really only lacks in the speed, gun range, and shell flight time problems, which can be remedied with skill and positioning.
As far as the commander voice acting, Rie Takahashi voices Montpelier. If you do not know who that is or do not care, and just want to know if the commander's voice is annoying or not, then be happy that she isn't overtly grating compared to some of the other commanders you can get. I find her rather composed, cool, and relaxed, fitting the trope of kuudere, if you even know what that means.
TLDR: Premium Cleveland with higher sigma, slightly lower RoF, Longer lasting radar.

Runner Up: AL Sovetsky Rossiya

This is a premium version of Sovetsky Soyuz, the VMF (Soviet Navy) Tier IX BB. Like Montpelier, she is slightly unique to her tech tree counterpart, bar being premium, by having standard battleship dispersion (USN, Royal Navy, German, etc.) instead of Russian BB dispersion formula that gets way better inside 15km. She does also have 1.8 sigma versus 1.7 sigma, for slightly tighter shot grouping. So, while Soyuz excels at mid range, Rossiya excels at long range, which does reasonably well considering the average high tier meta these days.
Other than that, you retain all the upsides of Fast action Damage Control Parties, the tough hull design of the Sovetsky Soyuz. The only other thing you DO NOT get is the AA, as she has the Hull A of Sovetsky Soyuz, and in turn has worse AA overall. In fact, she has such bad AA that only Musashi beats her out in having worse AA for Tier IX battleships. So yeah, CVs that know their targets will have free reign on you, so stick close to allies in CV matches.
Now a I'll be honest with you, Rossiya is not a super competitive BB at tier IX, so this choice is really just down to being different in few ways instead of blatant copy paste. Really, only AL Montpelier is the only super competitive option here. So above all else, Rossiya is a side grade if anything and you should not fear of having FOMO for not getting her. Besides, she's not an historical ship that is going to get removed because it was OP, so fret not (COUGH COUGH MUSASHI, COUGH COUGH ALASKA, COUGH COUGH MISSOURI).
Lastly, the commander is voiced by Manami Numakura. I can really only characterize her as cool, tough, deep voiced anime woman archetype. I dunno really how to explain it that well, so I apologize for anyone that likes her due to my poor description.
TLDR: Premium Sovetsky Soyuz Hull A with 1.8 sigma and standard battleship dispersion.
OK, with those two out of the way, I want to put a disclaimer here that the next ships are purely optional and not super worth it IMO and really only selected for being different than the rest, I.E. not something that is currently offered in other ships / premium ships already in-game.

Optional 1st Pick: AL Prinz Heinrich

This is a premium version of Prinz Heinrich, the tier VII german battlecruiser of the Ersatz Yorck class. She is a 1 for 1 copy of Prinz Heinrich: no special differences here besides premium benefits.
Now, while she is not unique in any way, she is not a bad battlecruiser for tier VII standards. This mainly comes down to the 50mm deck plating she has in a tier wrought with battleships with just 26mm of plating on their decks. Really, any tier VII battleship that has more than 27mm of plating is really competitive in this tier, simply because they don't get overmatched or full-penned by HE. It's sort of why Scharnhorst '43 is so popular and good, since she doesn't get chunked for 10k when hit by 15 in + guns (380mm guns for ya'll metric nerds).
Besides that, she's not slow as hell, going at a decent 28 knots, has 15in guns herself, has fast acting DCP, and is the first ship in the german battlecruisefast battleship line that gets that sweet improved secondary dispersion formula, which despite the 9km max range, means that she has free DPM to let the game play itself essentially. Combined with torpedoes, she can bum rush many slower and weaker battleships that the german battlecruiser line is famous for. And on top of all that, she also has hydro for better pushing to see torpedoes earlier, or push smoked up ships.
Now for some cons, the guns, while using battlecruiser dispersion have an awful 1.5 sigma, so your shot grouping is... bad. Do not be surprised if a lot of your shells in your salvo get a mind of their own. Besides that, she's on the below average end of HP for tier VII, at 56k. Also, she does have 25mm bow and stern. She does have a 30mm extended belt (colloquially known as an ice breaker), which is followed by 120mm extended belt, that protects the lower portion of the ship from overmatch bar 18in guns that she MIGHT face in the likes of Georgia, Sun Yat Sen, Musashi, and Tsurugi, and Adatara. Still, that doesn't mean she is immune from overmatch, as the odd shell can still get through her bow and stern and chunk you, so do not bet on it 100%.
Now that is for the most part, the review. However, for any true fans out there, they know that Prinz Heinrich from AL is actually a P-Class cruiser, AKA Schill in this game. Since Schill was a limited time ship that required whaling for her, and that wargaming dropped the ball and just did "Oh this ship has the same name! Here ya go!" then you know how much this kind of sucks. If you just like Prinz Heinrich, and want her as a premium, you can ignore this tidbit, but for any true fans that DO NOT have Schill, you're shit outta luck.
As far as commander goes, the voice actor, Hiyori Nitta, does a wonderful job characterizing a carefree and bubbly character. As previously mentioned, I recommend putting her on Schill if you really care about game accuracy, that is, if you even had Schill to begin with.
TLDR: Premium Prinz Heinrich copy-paste. Get it only if you really like Prinz Heinrich (the ship) which is actually pretty good for its tier, and want a premium version of it, or Prinz Heinrich as the character.

Optional 2nd Pick: AL Shimakaze

Hoo boy, this one might be controversial. This is a special ship (NOT a premium ship) of IJN DD, Shimakaze.
Shimakaze really needs no introduction. It is the old school torpedo boat that coined the phrase "Torpedo soup" or at least contributed to that phrase. It can put 3x5 23k damage, 12km Type 93 long lance torpedoes into the water. It has some of the best concealment for her tier, getting down to 5.6km surface detect, and good speed at 39 kts (42 kts when speed boost is active). It has been here since the games launch, and well, admittedly, or at least in my opinion, has seen better days.
Still, while some other DDs might have powercrept her a little, you can't mistake the fact that a well played Shimakaze can terrorize a team that lacks the tools to pin her down. Even if that is seldom the case most of the time (48% win rate on NA out of 8 million battles), the ship still has strong tools when played to it's strengths. 23k damage torpedoes are no joke... if you get hit by them at least, as they have a pretty awful average reaction time of ~9.35 sec (according to wows ship builder). Now, this can be sort of remedied with building for torpedo speed, getting torpedo tubes mod 1 and swift fish to decrease that time to ~8.5 sec, but that's still far above the average of 7.8 sec most torpedoes have in other nations. Still, if you get the right angle, devstriking a full HP battleship is not uncommon if you get a perfectly lined up shot. Thing is, it takes WAY more skill and positioning than you think it does, especially considering that most top tier players sort of know what they're doing, and that a lot of top tier ships can run hydroacoustic search these days.
Combined with the fact that she has some of the worse gun DPM of any tier X DD, and has fairly low HP for the tier, it can be fairly hard to play this ship unless you get just the best matchmaking ever. It's a real feast or famine type ship, which I would say summarizes most of the IJN Shimakaze line in general, bar maybe the mid tiers. All this really means is that Shimakaze is NOT the most competitive DD at tier X, as arguably many other nations have better torpedo boats, or better yet, opt for hybrid boats that can defend themselves fairly well, such as the Pan Euro DDs. Still, as mentioned earlier, if played to her strengths, she can be a good ship, but all I am arguing for is that she is not a meta ship, at least in my opinion.
Now, onto the whole Special Ship thing. Yes, this IS a tier X ship that can be bought for money. And YES, this is like the ARP Yamato deal, allowing noob whales to skip to tier X and forgo all the blood sweat and tears that goes into grinding to top tier. And YES, IT'S A SHIMAKAZE, THE TIER X NOOB MACHINE. I DO NOT HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR MANY AL SHIMAKAZE PLAYERS EITHER. With that out of the way, what benefit do you get for getting a special ship version of Shimakaze?
Well, to start, Special ships essentially have the premium bonus package already baked in, I.E: +50% Credits, +100% Ship XP, +100% Commander XP, +100% Free XP. On top of that, you also have a reduced repair cost compared to a standard tier X. Besides that, you can freely swap commanders onto this ship like a premium ship with no retraining required, making it a good trainer. These are the ONLY 2 reasons that make this ship more economically viable compared to Shimakaze. While the bonus package on Shimakaze can achieve 1 of these 3 effects, the other two, reduced repair cost and free commander swapping, puts this above standard Shimakaze as a result.
So, unfortunately, This is a slightly better Shimakaze. So if you REALLY like Shimakaze, and want a premium version of it, well, here it is, for a lot of goddamn money. Like $100+ expensive. Go figure ya know?
Also, the commander is voiced by Saori Hayami.
TLDR: Special Ship verison of Shimakaze. Take if you are a whale have a lot of expendable income to burn, AND really like Shimakaze (The ship), and or really like Shimakaze (the AL character).

Optional 3rd Pick: AL Yukikaze

AL Yukikaze is a similar version of the IJN DD Kagero, but with F8 torpedoes and no option for torpedo reload booster.
Now, this is the last of the semi-unique AL ships, as every other one has been copy-paste. Yukikaze at the very least is different in that she has F8 torpedoes. These differ than Kagero's choice by having less range, (8km vs 10km), higher damage (21k vs 20k), faster reload (104 sec vs 112 sec), and higher speed (76kts to 67kts) which also leads to a better reaction time of ~8.8 sec vs ~9.45 sec.
Now, does this make Yukikaze better? No, not really, as 8km is rather short range for high tier standards. It does make them almost break past ~8 sec reaction time with a full torpedo speed build, the best of any type 93 torpedo, but combined with the fact that it has no other differences in gun handling, DPM, HP, and consumables, I find this shorter ranged torpedo to be a high risk high reward setup, which already exacerbates high tier IJN DD gameplay further than it already is, being so heavily feast or famine.
I can really only recommend this ship if you really like Kagero for whatever reason and really like the 8km F8 playstyle. That and if you like the history of the ship and or like the character of the ship, voiced by Kana Yuuki, despite how annoying and self aggrandizing her character is made out to be.
TLDR: Kagero but 8km F8 torpedoes.
OK, now for the ships I really do not recommend at all for varying reasons. The reviews are going to be more brief from here on out.

Skip 1: AL Cheshire

Only get this if you really, REALLY want to get Cheshire right now. Currently, regular Cheshire is off sale, and cannot be obtained. For whatever reason you think you might need Cheshire, this is the only way to obtain her at the moment in AL form. Which more than likely means that if you want her, you are more than likely a fan of the AL character, as the ship itself is pretty bad. Kind of polarizing given that Cheshire in AL is pretty meta, and her in WoWs she's pretty solidly in D tier for competitiveness.
She is essentially a worse Albemarle, having no Spotter Plane, and garbage DPM for the tier. Really, the 9.2 in guns really only offer 59mm of pen vs 34mm, and better AP pen with overall flatter flight times, but not by much. The armor is Okayish, but trust me when you will get smacked through your bow and stern often, as you have a stepped citadel that if you get overmatched through either direction, you WILL get citadelled. While you get that 50% cit and hull repair party, it really doesn't matter that much when it happens so often, or you just get straight up dev striked. Combined with the lack of spotter plane, that 16km gun range will feel really short, especially when you are bottom tier.
You can at least be happy that the AA she has is up to par in how she is in AL, as it's best in class for her tier. Well, mostly, but her Flak Count is above average at 6+1, and combined with always having defensive fire, I recommend getting the commander skill Focus Fire Training, so you get that +1 flak cloud for 8 in total, which combined with Defensive fires flak buff, those flak bursts will do 7k a pop, Which is the equivalent to instantly destroying about 7 to 3 planes depending on the type if they run into it while DF is active.
Besides that, the commander is voiced by Shizuka Ishigami, and well, pretends to be a catgirl.
TLDR: Get this if you really really, REALLY want Cheshire and you don't have one, or because you really like the AL character.

Skip 2: AL Hornet

This is just Hornet. You can get her cheaper with a 25% discount coupon. It's also a CV, which I imagine is not everyones cup of tea.
The commander is voiced by Nozomi Yamamoto, and personally, I enjoy the happy go lucky characterization she has. This might be the ONLY reason you want to get Hornet, that or because you like the cool skin the ship has, and or the free 10 point commander.
TLDR: Get regular Hornet with 25% discount. ONLY buy this if you love AL Hornet (the character) to pieces.

Skip 3 & 4: AL Azuma and AL Agir

These two are just Agir and Azuma, coal ships, that you can get absolutely for free. They are also not really the best Tier IX cruisers anyways, as Azuma is super vulnerable to battleships, and Agir doesn't match up to the likes of other large cruisers at this tier.
That said, I can only imagine you getting these ships for the same reasons for Hornet, and that is because you are a fan of the AL characterization of these ships, as Azuma is voiced by Kiyono Yasuno, and Agir, Ayane Sakura. Or you just like the ship skins.
TLDR: Get Azuma and or Agir for free with Coal. ONLY buy this if you love AL Agir / AL Azuma (the characters).

BONUS: Commander Pack

Hahaha no. Unless you really love AL and don't mind by dropping... looks at price... 100$+ USD and getting a ton of fully voiced commanders, then go for it. The only other reason would be because you are a fresh player and need 10 point commanders for most of the nations in this game, which is really only useful if you need say concealment expert on destroyers for example, then sure, go for it if you find that to be an OK option.

EDIT: BONUS BONUS: AL Littorio

I forgot AL Roma, I mean AL Littorio is also a thing, and on an 80% sale.
Anyways, Roma herself sucks.
The guns have so much muzzle velocity that you will overpen targets 50% of the time. Combined with the Italian / french dispersion, which is one of the worst battleship dispersion formulas for battleships. So, they are fairly inconsistent guns as a result. Still, if the guns behave, they are pretty mean, as they have a lot of penetration for 15 in guns, on par with some of the best penetration for tier VIII battleships. They also have the best damage for 15 in guns for the tier as well. The gun handling is at least not total crap, as they have 30 sec 180° rotation time, which is above average for most BBs. The forward gun angles are decent too, at 31°, but her rear angles are worse at 40°.
Speaking off, the armor is fairly good at a first glance, with 45mm deck, 70mm deck sides, and a fairly small superstructure which has extra protection from her 90mm dual purpose guns 40mm barbettes and the conning tower. The citadel is slightly above water, but it is not a turtleback, so you WILL get punished for being broadside, considering the armor is 375mm + 40mm of armor or protection. The 40mm inner plate is not overmatchable at least, which is a small plus. At least, compared to the tech tree Tier IX and Tier X that have 25mm plates under their turtleback.
She also gets points for good concealment for her tier, being among the best, at 13.39km base, 11.7km max.
Overall, she's... a tough and sneaky nut to crack, unless she shows broadside. The guns themselves are a massive dirce roll each time, and kind of suck. When they behave though, usually at range, they are amongst the best 15in guns at tier VIII.
Oh and Roma is voiced by Yui Kondou.
Oh wait. This supposed to be Littorio. Whoops. Then that would be Shizuka Itou that voices her. And Yes, if you didn't know, this is for all intensive purposes SHOULD be AL Roma. The simple version of this is that the Vittorio Veneto class all had striking unique features that set them apart at a glance. There was a controversy a while ago about AL Littorio literally being Roma with a skin, as if you demout the camo, the Roma nameplate is still there. Same goes for our Tech Tree Vittorio Veneto, as it is too, just Roma. In fact, the upcoming Spanish Tier IX premium Victoria will be the first version of Roma that is somewhat different. But honestly, it doesn't count.
TLDR: It's a freaking Tier VIII BB on 80% off. Get it while it's hot I guess. Besides that, she has poor gun handling and accuracy, but strong armor (when angled), and good concealment.

I am not in danger or anything but the place is jampacked with strange and familiar people, and the college is a maze.
It has been over 10 years ago since i graduated college. Why am I still having dreams about college. I recognize people i sort of met or seen in college and high school. Every time i enter a room, all seats are filled and people are taking test or about to take a test.
I dont freaking know where i am supposed to go. Because a teacher teaches multiple classes to different students multiple times in 1 day, they switch out the small room they usually teach for a big ass lecture hall for all 200-300 students they teach.
Example: Teacher teaches in a small classroom of 30 students 10am, another group of 30 students at 11am, another 30 students at 1pm, another 30 at 2pm, another 30 at 3pm, and finally another 30 at 4pm. That is 180 different students. This forces the teacher to schedule the use of 1 big lecture hall or auditorium that can seat 200-300 students for the final exam. I dont freaking know where it is.
That info about where the final exam takes place is posted on the blackboard website or what ever, in addition to the teacher informing us 1-2 weeks ahead of time. In my dream i can never get my phone or laptop to connect with wifi or get signal on phone and i dont recall the teacher announcing the room of the final exam. Worst is I dont even know what time i am supposed to take the exam.
I am running from class room to class room and lecture hall to lecture hall trying desperately to find the room I am supposed to take my final exam in.
I am struggling to run or walk. I cant move very fast. I see so many people in the hallway making it difficult for me to walk by or past them. I dont know any of them and asking them for help they simply shrug or say they dont know. The college i went to had multiple buildings spread out and most of the buildings was designed by stupid dumb fuck architects that make complicated ass building designs with confusing hallways and floor layouts. Why cant these dumb fuck architects just make a simple box building?
Anyways in my dream the rooms are even more confusing to navigate. I actually run through rooms to get to other rooms. It is so confusing. I try to read the door numbers and try to navigate but it doesnt even make sense. Room numbers dont follow a pattern. Worst is know i am in a building with multiple floors. It doesnt even matter as i dont remember or know the room number i am supposed to go to.
Even if i remeber the room i am supposed to go to or the internet works on my laptop or phone, i am still screwed as the final exam is on something i never studied or did not study enough. For example last night i dreamt i had to take a final exam in German. I dont speak any German. How tf am i supposed to even ace this test? Other subjects in math, philosphy, history, science etc... like oh shit i dont know or remember anything man.
Edit: some dreams i wake up sitting at the desk trying to read the exam and answer it. The text is all garbled and incomprehensible or the question is ultra convoluted. I am sitting there staring at paper not knowing the answer. It freaking sucks if it is not a multiple choice question like abcd. Even worse is if a teacher thinks i am cheating and confronts me.
What does this even mean?
1] I am lost and do not know where to go. I dont know where i belong. 2] I cant ask for help. Nobody knows where i am supposed to go or be at. I cant find the answer myself as dream wifi and internet doesnt work 3] Even if i find my way there, i know nothing about the subject. I didnt study. I am going to fail. It has been over 10yrs I dont remember anything. 4]It is so weird seeing people i havent spoken to or seen over 10yrs ago and even longer. Why am i still thinking of people from college and highschool?
Could this mean i am lost in life? Could this mean, if i had chosen different path in life, i still would have failed? Why do i miss all these people from college and highschool?
I went to a community college b4 going to a university. That explains why i recognize some students from highschool attending college.
Edit: do not ask my major because there are a bunch of dick head reddit stalkers trying to dox me or insult me using any info they can gather by reading my post history. I had a dipshit reddit stalker try to insult me by guessing my major wrong.

I know y'all like to complain about Delta, and indeed air travel gets worse every year. But flying United really makes me appreciate Delta.
We flew LEX <-> DEN last week on United.
The check-in experience at DEN was just chaos. No line. Just a mob and shouting gate agents chastising everyone for doing it wrong. (LEX was fine because it's a teensy regional airport and people are lovely there.)
We were flying cattle class because it was a last minute trip. So luggage was $35 a piece because you can't take anything on the plane beyond a small personal bag or purse. So there went an extra $70 for two small bags that we thought would go in the overhead.
Then we didn't get seat assignments until we were at the gate. Which is not a crisis but when you're flying with a kid they want to know what to expect.
The gate agents were hostile. The boarding was a mad rush.
And then on the plane they kept trying to sell you stuff. There was a high-pressure sales pitch for a credit card, and then they came around to the seats trying to get you to sign up for it.
I'm feeling a little bit better about enduring the horrible music on my next flight.

i don't talk about this a lot because of shame and embarrassment. But i got harrassed by a creep in middle school. At first, i was so pissed abt him noticing me. It's like creeps have a radar for detecting shy/insecure girls who they think make "easy targets". I was very insecure as a teen, and was bullied a lot. First by girls, then by guys. I remember one girl who hated me and was always calling me a "whore" for absolutely no reason. And when that guy started harrassing me, it started with small things, passive-agressive stuff that could be overlooked. Unfortunately i had to seat next to him at one class, and he kept saying creepy things like "i like your lips" "i think yo'ure pretty". I told him to shut up, but nothing. When i told the teacher, and asked her to change seats, she told him to move instead. He played the victim and said that "he was joking around", eventhough, it didn't make me laugh at all. And that's where the bullying started. He started insulting me unprovoked, started criticizing my appearance, making sexual jokes, moaning and pretending to have sex as i was passing by, saying to his friends he wanted to f-- me. I finally had enough, and stopped thinking ignoring him was going to work, and hit him several times. And only this worked to ward him off.
But it totally made me fear and hate men, to the point where i never ever had a bf even up until this point. I don't think i could ever trust a man, just because all the guys he was friends with, never came to my defense either, even my own brother never took my defense. I had to take care of it myself. I wasn't scared of him, i was just extremely embarrassed. I had a "boys will be boys" attitude (i grew up in very misogynistic place), and also fet a lot of guilt that every one who's a victim of this kind of behaviour is, like "did i do something to warrant this ?"

An emo girl in band(no, I’m not just calling her emo because she cuts herself. She actually adopts an emo style and attitude), started cutting herself in 2022 During the marching band season at age 15. She kind of does it on and off as She was stop for months and then she would come back with a dozen or so new cuts. She doesn’t hide them, Even when they’re obviously extremely fresh. This is kind of a commonly known fact in our section as When she first started, she bandaged them and we had a game or competition and people were asking about them and eventually people found out about it The director told her to Take it off because she didn't know it was a bandage and it was white compared to the black uniform. I have reported it before. She is in my section and class.
Anyways, One day we were on a band trip which was out of state. We had just came back from A school which was in the middle of nowhere that we were practicing at at 7 AM and we were actually driving to our competition location at this point so it was during the daytime.
We were on the charter bus to NC and suddenly out of nowhere. She decides to stand up revealing both of her wrists, which had at least a few dozen cuts on them and asked me to count them. Her friend shakes his head. I’m confused, but I genuinely make a guess. The next day at 3 AM when we come back from the competition, she randomly runs into my arms To hug me out of nowhere.
I know that she’s obviously a troubled person She does some strange things sometimes. She also says like literally anything that comes to her head So it’s actually kind of funny sometimes she just randomly insult Someone for no reason in class or something.
But anyways, I’m autistic and I don’t understand a lot of things that Neurotypicals do so is this Some sort of emo code or something? Is this a common occurrence that happens in the emo Or mentally ill community? I also saw someone on Instagram comments a number on A video that showed a person with self harm on their wrist, getting it tattooed obviously counting them.
I don’t know if counting scars is some sort of code for something else and I know this happened two years ago, but I’m still confused and still wondering what it means. I would ask her, but it would be kind of weird to bring up something she did two years ago out of nowhere.

🛠 UNDER CONSTRUCTION ⚒️

The information detailed in this narrative is undergoing review and in the process of being updated.
Our philosophy within the SSDI_SSI Subreddit is to share our experiences to try to assist others. It does not necessarily mean that any shared experience will be a duplicate of your current experiences or outcomes.
Sometimes?
Just knowing that someone else has made it through similar difficult processes may make a huge difference to the stress you are currently (or soon will be) experiencing.
While I was going through some really rough times? I kept notes regarding some of the issues I was having, the numerous helpful resources I came across, and the search techniques I utilized.
Some of the resources I came across had nothing to do with a specific issue that I was experiencing.
However? If I thought the resources could be:

■ helpful to others?	■ relevant?
■ informative?	■ significant?

I kept track just in case the resources could be of assistance to others.
I gathered all of the notes / links I had collected and created this narrative through the years.
These resources are relative to people who live in the USA.
Although other countries may have such programs, they would (most likely) not share the same links.
You could utilize similar techniques (not the exact same links found here) to search for helpful resources in your community, perhaps.
In the USA? If you have a SmartPhone or a computer? You can actually call / locate sites that offer assistance and / or let your fingers do the walking!

This is a living document and will be changed as needed.

In your browser, type your zip code, the word "free" (if needed), and the particular assistance that you need.

12345 affordable housing	12345 eye glasses / lens
12345 electricity assistance	12345 therapy
12345 housing	12345 transportation
12345 dental care	12345 paratransit services

You get the idea!
You can use different terminology during your search.
I have found that each city / state is different throughout the USA.
You never know what your community has already established for people who need help.
You will find that some communities offer more assistance than others.
If you don't have a SmartPhone or a computer?
Go to the library. There are all kinds of resources there - most of which are free.
While there? Pick up some books!!

Always keep looking for solutions.

Reach out to others.
We are a community on Reddit - created to help each other.
Don't give up!
No matter what!
I've compiled a list of helpful information / sites that I add to periodically. Some may help you now / some may not (but could nevertheless provide assistance in the future).
It's always good to know about these resources in case you ever need them.
Programs / headings are in alphabetical order:

Children

There are organizations specifically geared towards the needs of children. A few are detailed below.
National Diaper Network.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrtion Services - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) - WIC Eligibility Requirements.

Disability Eligibility Requirements

If you or a loved one are 💯% disabled? You should consider applying for SSA disability benefits.
All SSA disability programs have the same criteria in regards to eligibility. If unable to work because of a medical / psychological condition, you are eligible for SSA disability benefits.
■ You have to be 💯% disabled (SSA does not award benefits for partial disabilities).
■ Unable to work.
■ Have a disability that will last for at least a year or end in your death.

We pay disability benefits to people who can't work because they have a medical condition that's expected to last at least one year or result in death. Federal law requires this very strict definition of disability. While some programs give money to people with partial disability or short-term disability, we do not.

If you have not already done so? Sign up for mySocialSecurity, with the ability to provide secure online access to your current earnings record and history. Information regarding your retirement, disability, and any survivor benefits that you and your family may be eligible for will also be accessible. Also? Your potential monthly benefits will be calculated.

Education

Continuing your education is a great way to learn.
You can go to school online and not even leave your home. Take a class here and there. Go to school at 3:00 am on a Wednesday or 4:00 pm on a Saturday.
There are no worries about parking, transportation, or rushing to make it to a class from your job.
Some states offer free college tuition for the first two years. There are other charges like room and board, textbooks and transportation (which will need to be paid for out of pocket).
Apply for Pell Grants or other types of assistance. Ask the school for whatever other programs may be avaliable to you.
Accredited Online Colleges.
Apply for Financial Aid.
Avoid fake degree burns by researching academic credentials.
The Best Online Colleges 2022.
Is Community College Free? In These 19 States, Yes.
Federal Pell Grants Are for Undergraduate Students.
Top 35 Tuition-Free Colleges For 2022

Food Assistance / Food Pantries

There are numerous resources available for food shotages. You do not have to go hungry. Don't be afraid (or ashamed) to ask for help.
14 Companies That Will Give You Food and Other Products For Free.
16 of the Absolute Best Freebies We’ve Ever Found Online.
23 Restaurant Apps That Get You Free Food.
60+ places to get FREE food via app or email signup!.
Find Food Pantries.
Find Your Local Food Bank.
Food Stamps - SNAP Food Benefits.
SNAP Eligibility Requirements for your family. In your state? There may be requirements that you have to work or other eligibility criteria that have to be met before SNAP is provided.
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrtion Services Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrtion Services Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Facts About SNAP.

Health Insurance

If you need health insurance? You might want to consider applying for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is income based. Benefits are different for each state. Depending on:
■ what agreement your state's Governor signed and your state's legislatures approved?
■ if the last administration allowed insurance policies (that cover nothing) to proliferate your state?
Your options are variable. Meaning? Your benefits will be uniquely tailored for your financial qualifications and your state.
A lot of people are turning to the reliable ACA because of everything that has transpired.
The ACA mandates that therapy be covered, too.
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Guarantees.
Apply for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare.
Everything to Know About Obamacare (ACA) Subsidies.
Health Care Rankings - Measuring how well states are meeting citizens' health care needs.

Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid Expansion and What it Means for You
Red states that have resisted Medicaid expansion are feeling pressure to give up.
Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Interactive Map.
What Marketplace Health Insurance Plans Cover.

Homelessness

HH Help for Every Casualty of Homelessness: Including Disabled SSA Applicants, Disability Recipients, and Veterans.

Housing Issues

Sometimes, there are huge differences in the types of housing / assistance you may be eligible for (depending on the state or community that you live in).
There may be a waiting list in your area, but you should at least apply for all programs.
Concerned About Eviction.
Find Your Local Public Housing Agency (PHA).
HUD Eviction Guidance.
Learn More About Renting and HUD Rental Assistance Programs.
Rent Relief Resources.

Interested in Moving?

We decided we needed to move when we noticed that the community we lived in did not provide the support we needed to have a better life.
We wanted to move to a location that offered exposure to better healthcare, health insurance, housing and paratransit services.
So?
Make a list of items that are important to you and your family. Rank them in order of importance.
Remember? Each community is different and offers different services.
Each jurisdiction has a Chamber of Commerce page or other similar resource that lists issues you might be interested in.
I searched the internet, made lists, and came up with the following resources (presented in alphabetical order) that were important to our family. You and your family might have other criteria.

(1) Helping Hands

Helping Hands Action Group monitors the benefits landscape for updates and changes to policies and programs. Depending on the jurisdiction? They offer transportation and other services. You should check 12345 Helping Hands in your area.
Check out the Helping Hands Action Group - click here.

(2) Medicaid Expansion

The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansion expanded Medicaid coverage to nearly all adults with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level ($20,783 for an individual in 2024) and provided states with an enhanced federal matching rate (FMAP) for their expansion populations.

To date, 41 states (including DC) have adopted the Medicaid expansion and 10 states have not adopted the expansion. Current status for each state is based on KFF tracking and analysis of state expansion activity.

Check out the Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Interactive Map - click here.

(3) Paratransit / Transportation

Another thing you should consider adding to the list? Check to see what type of transportation services are offered.
You never have to worry about parking, blizzards, running out of fuel or parking meter money, taffic or anything else that would be a hindrance.
If your community has bus routes? You might have paratransit services available to you.
The fair is reasonable (much better than ubers, taxis or something else).
You do not need to be in a wheelchair for paratransit services.
The driver will walk you to and from the door of the building (your home and the appointment and vice versa).
You can use the services for anything you want to, such as vists to:

beauty parlors	parks
community events	physical therapy
library visits	school events
medical appts	shopping excursions
movies	veterinarian appts
museums	volunteer work

Anything you can think of - it is such a blessing.
I have lived in areas that had paratransit and areas that did not offer paratransit. It makes a huge difference in your sense of independence to be able to attend appointments and go places you need to. Without the interference of worrying about reliable transportation.

(4) Social Security Taxes

Moving to a state where they do not charge social security taxes dramatically increased our overall income. If you are interested in moving to states that do not require taxes on SSA benefits?
Check out 39 states that do not tax Social Security benefits - click here. Consider moving. It saved us a lot of money every single month.

(5) State Income Taxes

Moving to a state where they do not charge state income taxes dramatically increased or overall income. If you are interested in moving to states that do not require state income taxes?
Check out 9 states with no income tax - click here. Consider moving. It saved us a lot of money every single month.

Miscellaneous

Dial 211 Not sure where to turn? We are here for you.
Dial 988 Suicide and Crisis Support Lifeline.
Affordable Connectivity Program - Broadband Connection.
Ask Your Free Legal Question (licensed attorneys in your state / free).
Assurance Wireless - Lifeline Free Government Phone Program.
Find Help.
Go Fund Me.
Help with Bills.

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06-12-2018 Created 05-16-2024 Updated

Is this a brand new build, or an upgrade to an existing build?

Brand New

Please list any existing parts or monitor(s) you have that you would like to re-use with this build. For upgrades, a PCPartPicker list of your full build is extremely helpful. Be as specific as you can be here, including links or exact model numbers of each component whenever possible.

I Have NOTHING.

What will this PC be used for? Examples include things like gaming, general/multimedia use, photo/video editing, coding, Al/ML, etc. Include specific games and applications you intend to run, and any particular performance goals you have, as each may have different specific hardware needs.

I’d LIKE to game in 4k If Possible with my budget. I play Warzone, Infinite, Minecraft. I’m coming from an XBOX X. Other than gaming I may try to stream later on in life. I edit and shoot a lot of YouTube videos, some college school work but nothing crazy.

What country will you be purchasing in? If you are in the US, do you live near a Micro Center? For other countries, please check if your country is supported by PCPartPicker by using the country selector dropdown on the top right - if not, please provide some links to reliable local vendors you are comfortable ordering from.

I’m in California but not close to a micro center.

Do you need one or more monitors included in the budget? Please list how many and any size/resolution/ refresh rate preferences if needed.

Id like one SOLID 4K for the gaming/editing. Maybe a second monitor for discord/streaming or doing things on the side. The other doesn’t NEED to be 4k if it doesn’t need to be.

What is your preferred and maximum budget range for this build, in local currency? Parts lists may sometimes have additional shipping costs. Please note whether prices in your country include sales tax or not, and adjust your budget accordingly. Typically VAT countries will have it included in the part list prices, whereas regular sales tax countries like the US and Canada will not.

I’m Planning on putting this all together around February/March, I know it’s a little ways away and more parts/upgrades will be available then.
After Taxes/shipping I’d like to be at or less than $3.5k USD

Do you need Wifi, or do you have a wired ethernet connection available?

I have a wired Connection/ Ethernet.

Do you have any specific size or noise requirements for the build?

I’d like a Full Sized Case, I have one in mind but would like to hear other opinions. I want a good amount of RGB in this build, I’d like a case with a nice window or two to show off the build. I’m in an area where noise isn’t an issue, however I don’t want something SCREECHING lol.

Do you have any aesthetic preferences for color or lighting? Describe what you're looking for, or feel free to provide some links to examples that may help. Some people prefer an inobtrusive stealth build, while others may prefer a case full of rainbow RGB.

CASE full to the brim of Rainbow RGB.

Any other specific requests or requirements? Examples might include a specific minimum amount of storage, or a particular CPU socket for a future upgrade path, etc.

I have ALOT of friends who have built there own, some are saying buy a prebuilt, some are suggesting things from their own bias. I’d like to hear some things from the people of this great group. I appreciate all the time and effort people MAY spend on this. Thank you.